5-Deoxy-5′-fluorocytidine compounds are therapeutically important agents. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,453,497. For example, N-pentyloxycarbonyl-5-deoxy-5′-fluorocytidine, also known as capecitabine, is a FDA-approved drug for treating colorectal cancer and breast cancer. It is enzymatically converted to 5-fluorouracil in tumor cells, where it inhibits DNA synthesis and slows tumor growth.
Synthesizing 5-deoxy-5′-fluorocytidine compounds is a challenging task given the existence of multiple chiral centers and active groups, i.e., hydroxyl groups. There is still a need to develop a more effective route for synthesizing 5-deoxy-5′-fluorocytidine compounds.